Page 257 - 2 Persian Trade rep Bahrain 2_Neat

5
Financial.—The prosperity of the people tsed to pearl industry and Bahrain is now the twelfth largest
depend chiefly on the pearling trade which is now oil-producing country in the world,
far from flourishing, the present increase in trade Communication aid TrantyorL—Motor roads soiit'
is die inaiuly to the lar-c number of men who are aWc for can and hrTi(.s aUfd a telephone ayjrtem
now earning money in employment of the Oii Com- cxist8 QVer the whojc Gf t»,c island There are
juiiiy and who qieiid their wage* in Bahrain. JUG motor cars, 11 buses and 16 lorriis of varacas
Tlero is a branch of the Eastern Bank limited types of which 90 per cent, arc of American majiu-
nt Bibrain which transacts all chssea of business, facturc. Motor boats ply regularly letween Bah-
J > Hundi sjilcm is ur-ed by the Hindu merchants. rain and Qatif and Oqair and occasional}' to Kuwait
Taxation.—Private property in free from taxation ant^ Diri>ri. The fares are cheap,
but shore are municipal taxes in the towns of There is a rcgul.tr weekly steamer service (Brinish
Mantmah and Muharraq. The income of the State India Steam Navigation Company) from and to
is derived from the revenues collected fron Oil India and Iraq. From May 12th, D937 the Cast
royahies and from Customs duties. The tariff io passenger boat of the British India Steam Naviiga-
fixed by Treaty at 5 per cent, ad mlorcm on general tion Company calls at Bahrain once ix a fortnhrat
merclandise and 10 per cent, is levied on certain which facilitates the speedy transhipment of
itrticlss of lnrury such as carpets, gillims. cycles, passengers and merchandise between Basra a&I
clock* and watches, electrical goods, fuixiturc, India in four days. The East and West bouzd
gramophones, g:old and artificial goid thread, hosiery, aeroplanes of the Imperial Airways LtdL call 14-
henna, motor care, perfumery, toikt soaps, rilken weekly. The air service is tL5cd also for comnuex-
gooda. sewing machines, rubber tyreo and tubes, caal freight,
typewriters, boots and shoes, pliying cards, and Social.—The discovery of oil has greatly improved
15 ptr cent, on alcohol, tobacco and cigarettes.
tbe econocic condition of the people. The Bahrain
Transit dues on goods landed at Bahrain for the Petroleum Company, Limited, has prodded con si-
mujiiltnd w^s reduced from 2 per cent, to 1J durable relief to unemployment and voric in tie
per cent, and an export duty of Rs. 10 j»er bxndlc oil-field is a great attraction for emigrants fro-a
of bices and smnas two per hasiet of dates m India and other neig hi louring countries. There
cbargtd. is a community of about 500 Europeans ar.-J Amea-
The Customs work is under the direction cf an cans including members of the Arabian Mission.
European Director of Customs, who is an oEcial Owing to lit tic or nosuitsible accommodation beircg
of tLe Bahrain Government. available, «sj>ccially for European ladies, a number
Aynkullure.—'Toe area of Bahrrin is rocghly of quests for permission to land at Bahrain have
136.0(0 acres, of which v\th is cultivable and ^aid ^ refnsed.
?‘0th under cultivation. The remaining, Icing Manamak, the capital town, contains txro hospital*,
rocky ground 5s unsuitable. Tbe principal crops three schools (one for boys and two for girls). Post
are dates, citrus and a variety of vegetables. Orifice, a Wireless and Cable station managed by tfi*
h dcsiry.—Bahrain is famous throughout the Cable and Wireless Limited and a branch of Messrs.
wor6d for its pearl industry, on which the greater ^ny Mackenzie & Co, Ltd., who acta as agents to
proportion of the people depend for a livelihood. British India Steam Navigation Company,
During the diving season which is from July to . ... - . .
Scptenber, Bahrain is visilod by numerous Indian, There is a municipal council in Jlarnmh and
Arab and a few European pearl merchants. also in the town of Muharraq oa an adjacent island.
An electric power station exists at Mainmah and
Boat building and tbe manufacture of sad* is the power b carried Ly a causeway and a submarine
another important industry in Bahrain. Two local cable to Muharraq.
firms, ris., Messrs. A. M. Y a teem Brothers and
n • re n v m. l- r . ,, - , The Political Agent, Bahrain, who b in close
Hajv KUlil bin. Ebrahin. Kanoo heid agencies for with and nuiniand xt[xin u lxd
Thonjcroft and Kelvin engine, for strain to ,MWor enquiries regarding trade from mer-
launebis. llm mdu.t ry u capatie of funier duaita in the United Kingdom through tie Departs
eipimno, if wen orga tuned. Mat „f Overseaa Trade.
Other industries are : date cultivation, and tLere Enquiries from India should he made through
are great poaribclities of tbe shell industry bring the Director General of Commercial Intelligence
centraliied in Bahrain. at Calcutta. Time probably would be saved by
Mint*.—The Bahrain Petroleum Company, Limit- addressing the latter official direct, as reformation
ed, a subsidiary company of the Btaudard Oil (X«n- oa most ordinary matters u available in hi records
paoy, Limited, of California, have found oil and are ,_ • . . . • <-
actively engaged in developing thrir concession. (Illegible),
The revenue from oil now far exceeds that of the for Political Agent, Bahrain.